First Day of Hunter School
by KittySkywalker
Summary: Little Toga Yagari has to survive a day around some not-so-nice hunter apprentices. Luckily for him Kaien is there to help. Story is WAY better than the summary. Inspired by the new bonus chap. R&R please


It was six year old Toga Yagari's first day at the elementary school for hunters and his mother was a wreck. She spent the whole morning fussing over every detail while her young son diligently followed her around the house. Toga new that today was special and he was so excited that he couldn't keep still. His father was upstairs getting ready for a boring day of filling out reports and the like, and ignoring his wife's worked up state.

The school had actually been established about ten years before and really what it was, was a regular old elementary school with the potential for children from different hunter families to connect. There were times when who you knew was just as important as how skilled of a hunter you were. The Yagari family was on par with the Kiryu and Cross families and seeming as they had all been close friends for generations, Takara Yagari hoped her son would get along with their children.

Her son was a wonderful boy and made fast friends but he was rather like his father. Physically he was the spitting image of his father although his features were a bit softer like his mother's, but he had his father's stubbornness and he was able to glare at people in a way not befitting one so young. Takara moved into the kitchen preparing her son's lunch before she saw Toga sitting at the table swinging his legs smiling.

"Are you excited sweetie?" she asked.

Toga looked up and said, "Yes mommy."

"You have everything you need? All your school supplies?" she asked yet again.

"Yes mommy," Toga said implementing his patience he had surely inherited from her. Later in life he would take on his father's quick temper and short patience, but for now he was rather like Takara. She packed up his lunch box and set it on the table next to him. Seeing his mother was in such close proximity he held out his arms silently telling her he wanted a hug.

She leant down and scooped her son in her arms holding him close. She pulled away and kissed his cheek smiling when he pushed a strand of long blond hair behind her ear. Toga definitely looked more like his father than her. She had long golden hair that flowed down to around her waist-usually she would wear it in a French braid- and her eyes were green and light brown mixed into one. If anyone had ever asked Toga at the time he would have said his mother was the prettiest woman in the world. However Toga and his father, Katashi Yagari, both had jet black hair and piercing blue eyes and even then she knew her son would be tall just like his father. Takara sighed forcing herself not to get teary-eyed.

"Where's your back-pack honey?" she asked.

Toga pointed towards the stairs and said, "It's on the second step." For being so young her son was so organized.

She patted her son's raven hair and said, "Why don't you go get daddy then?"  
"Okay!" he cried. She watched her son trot towards the stairs when she finally noticed he had put his shirt on backwards. She laughed and called Toga back to her, where she had him lift up his arms while she maneuvered his small shirt around. She thought Toga's little outfit was cute and befitting the first day of school. He was wearing his little kaki pants with two very large pockets and a long sleeve shirt that had red sleeves and a white middle. Naturally Takara thought her little boy was cute no matter what but somehow this just seemed so appropriate for him.

She sent him on his way to go find his father but heard the sound footsteps on the stairs. She saw her rather tired husband coming down the steps greeted by his son's shining face. Toga was an only child and as far as Takara and Katashi were concerned he always would be. So, all of their love and attention went to each other and their only child. He was incredibly precious to both of them and seeing their son made everything better. With that Katashi didn't look quite to tired and he smiled down at his small son. At the bottom of the stairs he lifted Toga up and gave him a great big sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"Daddy that hurts!" Toga cried even though he was delighted with the attention.  
"What does?" Katashi asked concerned.

"He's talking about your scruff darling," Takara said slyly.

Katashi rolled his eyes; they were always on about him not shaving. Katashi was never a man who wanted a beard, in fact the whiskers on his face could never even be _considered_ as a beard. Unfortunately though his policy of not shaving every day made it so half the time he scratched his boy's face every time he kissed him. Takara was used to it by that point having been married to Katashi for about fifteen years, in fact it was one of the things she found rather appealing about her husband yet she understood how Toga could find it uncomfortable.

Thinking he had upset his father Toga leaned in and pecked his cheek saying, "Sorry daddy."

Katashi smiled warmly at his son, one large hand tussling his raven locks and said, "You don't have to be sorry Toga. But if we don't hurry we'll be late."

He glanced pointedly at his wife who said, "How is that my fault?"

He didn't reply but set his son down so he could run and grab his things. Once Toga was in the kitchen it was just the two of them in the hall in front of the staircase right in front of the front door.

"You look rather handsome for just doing some paperwork," she said slowly.

He chuckled and said, "Only for you my dear."

Katashi had thrown on a long sleeve black button up shirt that was a bit creased, and a pair of light trousers. He leaned in and gave his wife a chaste kiss as a way of saying 'Good Morning.' She smiled and knew there was probably a promise hidden in that kiss somewhere but she hugged her husband enjoying the feel of his arms around her. However she could see the bulge of his carton of cigarettes in his shirt pocket and she shot a meaningful glance up at him.

"What?" he questioned.

"Don't you ever let me see you smoking around our son Katashi Yagari. I'll be damned if he ever picks up that habit from you," she said sternly.

"Darling I won't ever let Toga see me smoke. You know I won't," he accentuated his promise with a chaste kiss. She relaxed into his arms again until she heard the sound of their son trotting towards them again. They separated from each other and found Toga eagerly awaiting his father with his little schoolbag and lunchbox.

Katashi smiled warmly at his boy and hefted him up bags and all holding in one arm and on one hip until he grabbed his keys and headed out the door. Takara came from a hunter family but she had never been trained so it was safer for her to stay home. Yet that didn't mean it was easy for her to watch her husband and son stroll down the front path to their car.

Toga shifted around in his father's grasp so he could see the house behind them and his mother at the front door. "Bye mommy!" he called out waving a small hand to her.  
She waved and smiled out to him letting herself tear up a little. She was so proud of her family, but it didn't mean she didn't worry about how Toga would fair around the older hunters. Some of them were quite mean and she didn't want anything to happen to her young and innocent child.

"You take good care of him Katashi!" she yelled. Katashi turned and all of a sudden Toga was looking out at the empty street.

"Of course I will," he answered his wife earnestly.

She nodded and called, "Tell me all about your day when you get back sweetie!"

"I will mommy. Bye!" Toga called. Katashi gently sat his son in the back seat of the family car doing up his seat belt. He blew a kiss to Takara before getting into the driver's seat.

He knew how hard this was for her, but sooner or later they would need to learn to let Toga go and lead his own life. Yes he was six years old, but being a hunter was a demanding life even for someone so young. After all there was always the possibility that Katashi himself might not come home. It was worse for parents who were hunters- to know that their time with their family was so short- even shorter than most people. But as soon as Katashi and Takara accepted that things would be better for everyone. At the time however little Toga Yagari was unaware of the world that was waiting for him.

Toga couldn't help but hide behind one of his father's long legs once they arrived at the school. It was in the middle of the Hunter Association so once parents were done with their work they didn't have to go very far to pick up their kids, plus some thought it very safe. The only problem was there were more high school looking students than there elementary students in the small playground.

"Maybe we're early," Katashi mumbled to himself. He looked down and saw Toga looking all around him apprehension written all over his face; not to mention the hand gripping his father's pant leg was shaking. Toga didn't like to be around older kids, and quite frankly it worried Katashi that there didn't seem to be any teacher there. He wasn't comfortable at all leaving his son there by himself.

However a sixteen year old boy with long blond hair and golden eyes saw them and rushed over to them smiling. Katashi caught sight of Kaien Cross walking towards them and sighed relieved. There's someone he knew, trusted, liked, and would take good care of his boy.

"Yagari-san," Kaien said happily, "it's good to see you."

"And you," Katashi said, "You grew since the last time I saw you right?"

Kaien laughed and said, "Maybe. Oh is that your son?" He'd caught sight of little Toga, and even though he knew it was a stupid question seeing as how alike they were Kaien had learned in his short life it was better to never assume anything.

Katashi smiled down at Toga reassuringly and patted his head saying, "Yep this is our boy. Say hi to Kaien."

Toga looked up at the blond boy in front of him and scooted farther behind his father's legs. Kaien thought the little guy was cute so he knelt down to Toga's level and said, "Hi there. You don't have to be afraid of me…my name's Kaien. What's yours?"

"T-Toga," came the stuttered response.

"It's nice to meet you Toga," Kaien said before standing up.

"So are we in the right place or what?" Katashi asked.

"Actually yes um, this is just where everyone can drop their kids off. Actually a lot of us have younger siblings coming to this school. I'm here because they think I'm good with kids and they asked me to help out," Kaien explained.

"Oh so you'll be with the kids?" Katashi asked. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as he thought.

"All day sir," Kaien confirmed.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Toga asked starting to feel a little less nervous. Kaien seemed to be really nice and his father seemed to like him so maybe it was alright.  
Kaien smiled gently at him and said, "I'm an only child. What about you?"

Toga only nodded his head and Kaien gathered that there were no more children in the Yagari family nor would there ever be. Katashi rubbed Toga's cheek with the back of his hand and asked, "Do you want Kaien to go and introduce you to the other kids Toga?"  
Toga nodded once more and smiled for the first time up at Kaien. Katashi gently ushered his son over to him and Kaien held out his hand. But Toga was confused; he liked Kaien but he didn't want his father to leave. Katashi knew what his son was thinking and knelt down to him gathering him up in his arms.

"Toga I don't want you to worry. I'll be waiting right here for you when school gets out," Toga nodded and Katashi kissed his forehead, "Kaien if he had any trouble I don't want you to hesitate calling me. At all. You understand?"

"Of course Yagari-san," Kaien replied. Katashi stood up and wanting to do his father proud Toga grabbed a hold of Kaien's pinkie and let himself be led away. He looked back and Katashi waved at him watching him disappear into one of the Association's buildings.

He grabbed his shirt right above where his heart was. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, but he trusted Kaien with his son so…he sighed and told himself things would be alright. After all hadn't he been the one who thought they had to learn to let their son go?

"Easier said than done," he mumbled as he headed towards his own office.

The lunch break came sooner than any of the children expected for they were still learning the concept of time flies when you're having fun. Toga grabbed his blue lunch pale and wandered off to a table under a tree with his new friend Kiryu. The boys had become fast friends and they were the same age so they both ate together. Kiryu had a container of Shio ramen and made Toga try a bite. It wasn't all that bad but Toga still preferred his mother's cooking. The boys were only distracted from each other when they saw Kaien wandering over to them.

"Hey guys," he said, "can eat lunch with you?"

Toga nodded enthusiastically and they scooted down on the bench to give Kaien more room. He pulled out a sandwich and just smiled down at them. Kaien didn't really say much to them for he preferred to listen to what they were saying occasionally getting excited about some character in a book or the sort. Children were great company he found because they never really asked to much of you.

All of a sudden the conversation next to him had ceased and he found both boys peering past him occasionally looking at each other then at some point in the distance. Kaien looked to his right and saw two girls from his class wandering around the playground.

"Oh great," he mumbled. He got up off the bench and strode meaningfully towards the two girls who he knew were bound and determined to cause trouble.

Kiryu was the one who was spooked by the presence of the two females and decided he would go and play for awhile with some other nicer looking kids. Toga however had inherited his parents' curiosity and walked up behind Kaien getting as close to the girls as he dared.

These were the type of kids his parents had feared him coming in contact with. They were tough and had no problem hurting someone much younger and smaller than them. But little Toga was unaware of such things. He came in on the middle of a conversation and he could tell Kaien was not happy. And if Kaien wasn't happy he knew that was a sign things were pretty bad.

"So they have you looking after brats now huh Cross?" the older and prettier of the two asked. She snickered at him for a moment thinking she was being funny.

"You need to leave Sumiko," Kaien said sternly. Her name was ironic itself for this girl was anything but a pure and clear thinker. She huffed and looked away and finally catching sight of Toga half peering around Kaien's legs.

When their eyes met Toga hid himself a little more and Sumiko smirked for a moment. Her voice adopted a saccharine quality and she bent down and asked, "Is this Yagari-san's little boy?"

Kaien looked behind him quickly and finally noticed Toga was behind him. Before he could even try to get Toga away from them the girls were already speaking. "Isn't he just adorable?" Sumiko asked her friend who nodded and laughed, "Just the cutest little thing. Come here cutie let me give you a kiss."

Toga was rather unhappy that these girls were talking about him like that, yet he had a feeling that if he didn't do what he wanted them to he would only land up in more trouble. Forgetting his caution he slowly started to move towards them. Sumiko gave him a deadly smile and Toga never saw the knife she pulled from the back of her belt.

Kaien did however and he knew exactly what she was going to do, luckily his hunter reflexes caught Toga and pulled him out of the knife's arch assuring his safety. Toga was frightened by what had just happened to be sure but he was completely unharmed.

Kaien set a fiery gaze on the girls and said, "Did you really think I'd let you cut his cheek?"

"Aw Cross," Sumiko pouted, "where's your sense of fun?" She never anticipated the backhand Kaien gave her nor could she dodge it. Of course Kaien felt guilty about hitting a woman but that kind of woman would try and cut a little boy with a knife?

"Get out," Kaien hissed. Now completely beaten and shamed Sumiko finally turned to leave as did her friend. But it was her friend however who turned and looked right at little Toga.

"You better keep a good eye on him Cross. 'Cause when he's older I'll eat him alive," she said licking her bottom lip. They left immediately after that and the atmosphere in the playground lifted right back to where it was.

Kaien sighed relieved that he'd been able to keep his family's friend's son safe from harm. He looked down at Toga and saw he was shaking and desperately trying not to shed tears of fear. Kaien knelt down to him and ran his fingers through the boy's black hair.

"You're alright now Toga. I won't let anything happen to you," he said reassuringly.  
Toga nodded trying to be as brave as he could and said, "That girl was mean."

Kaien gave a mirthless laugh and gently pulled the younger hunter in his arms comforting him the only way he knew how. And even though Kaien's hug was soothing Toga only wanted two people right then.

"I want my daddy," he cried softly hoping Kaien wouldn't notice his tears.

But he did and he said, "Alright."

Besides school would be over soon and what was the point of not letting Toga see the only people he wanted to?

The school day had finished and Toga rushed to grab all of his things to go meet his parents. At first he didn't see them only a sea of faces he did not recognize, but with his father's height he quickly found his parents. He'd only expected to see his father but Katashi had gone during his own lunch break to pick up Takara so they could both greet Toga. A wide smile shone on the boy's face and he ran as fast as his little legs could carry him.

Takara knelt down and hugged her son the moment he reached her. Toga wrapped his arms around the only woman he was happy to see that day and smiled up at his father. As soon as his mother let go Toga hugged his father's legs happy to see him as well. Katashi laughed and picked Toga while Takara rose from the ground.

"How was school today?" his father asked.

"Um…" Toga paused. He didn't want to lie to his parents and say it was good, but he knew even at that age his mother would only worry and his father would be angry if he told them about the two girls from earlier. Toga looked between them and said, "It was okay."

Takara smiled and kissed her son's cheek before leaning her head on her husband's shoulder.

"I'm glad," Katashi said happy nothing went too wrong on his son's first day at that school. "You know I'm done with all my paperwork," Katashi said slowly, "and it's only one o'clock…what do you two want to do?"

Takara winked at Toga as he smiled excitedly and thought about it for a moment. After such a bad day he really didn't care what they did be it going out somewhere or just staying home and watching a movie.

"Daddy I want you and mommy to decide," he said. They smiled at each other before turning to the car and talking to each other about that they should do.

Toga rested his head on his father's strong shoulder and he clutched onto his mother's hand when she rubbed his back soothingly. At that point in his life the only people Toga ever need were his parents. They could wash away any fear with just their presence. And while Toga almost fell asleep inhaling the scent of Katashi's cigarette smoke and Takara's hand lotion, Toga knew that the only place he would ever feel really safe was in their arms. And he didn't need anything more than their love which was all his.

The End.


End file.
